Mattress-guard for beds.



No. 778,607. v PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904.

S. REED.

MATTRESS GUARD FOR BEDS.

APPLICATION'FILED OOT. 1'7, 1903.

UNTTED STATES Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT FFICE.

STEPHEN REED, OF CANTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO OSCAR HUFFMAN, OF CANTON, ILLINOIS.

MATTRESS-GUARD FOR BEDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,607, dated December 27, 1904:.

Application filed October 1'7. 1903. Serial No. 177,404.

1'0 (L66 w/mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oanton, in the county of Fulton and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Mattress- Guard for Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mattress-guards designed for attachment to bedsteads without upwardly-projecting side rails in order to prevent lateral sliding of the mattresses, and has for its object to produce a mattress-guard of simple and inexpensive construction which may be easily applied to iron bedsteads or others of the class mentioned and which may be readily adjusted to the various sizes and thicknesses of mattresses with which it may be desired to use the device.

In attaining the object above mentioned I make use of a mattress-guard of the type hereinafter described, and illustrated in several forms of embodiment in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor structural details of the several different forms of embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing its advantages.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the bedstead with one of the mattress-guards applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4:, and 5 are perspective views illustrating several modifications of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by similar charactors of reference, it will be noted that the several different forms of embodiment of the invention illustrated are all particularly applicable to iron bedsteads of the ordinary type, in which the side rails are composed in the main of angle-iron bars. \Vith each bedstead it is desirable to employ four mattress-guards, two being placed upon each side rail, preferably near the ends thereof; but for purposes of illustration a portion only of one side rail ard, which is provided near its upper end with a slot 11 and is bent near the bottom to form a socket 12, into which the horizontal portions of the side rail 13 fit. A thumbscrew 14 is provided in the under side of the socket 12 to clamp the side rail 13 and the standard 10 in fixed relation. Extendinglaterally from the standard 10 are one or more arms 15, which are adjustably connected to the standard by means of a clamp-bolt 16, operating through the slot 11 and provided with a wing-nut of ordinary form. The arms 15 are designed to be disposed at angles to the standard and to engage the rail 13 at their lower ends, as shown in Fig. l, and for this reason the lower ends of the members 15 are preferably beveled, as shown, so that the ends thereof will rest flat upon the rail.

In Fig. 3 the standard 10 is replaced by a standard 10, having a slot 11 and provided at the lower end with a socket 12 and a thumb-screw 14c. The members 15 are replaced by a T-shaped member 15, which is secured to the standard by means of a clampbolt 16 passing through the slot 11. In this form of the invention the standard is not braced by the members extending laterally therefrom; but the member 15 gives a greater surface of contact With the side of the mattress near the upper margin.

The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a standard 10 provided with a slot 11*, a socket 12 and a thumbscrew 14?, together with a single horizontallydisposed member 15 adjustably connected with the standard by means of a clamp-bolt 16 extending through the slot 11 The modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 is formed almost wholly of round iron rod or heavy wire, the standard 10 being provided at the top with aloop 11, formed by bending the rod upon itself and twisting the end around the middle portion of the standard. At the bottom of the standard 10 a bend 12 is formed for the reception of the side rail of the bed, and an eye for the reception of a clamp-bolt 14: is formed by bending the rod upon itself. The horizontal member 15 is also formed from round rod and is preferably provided at its ends with eyes to prevent the ends from injuring the mattress. The member 15 is adjusted in position by means of a clamp-bolt 16, similar to the other clamp-bolts already mentioned.

In all of the several forms of embodiment of the invention above described adjustment to suit mattresses of different thicknesses is very easily accomplished, and, if desired, the members 15, 15 and 15 employed in the three modified forms of the invention may be disposed at oblique angles to the standard instead of in the positions illustrated. In the construction of the mattressguard in any of the forms disclosed iron or steel is to be preferred in order to obtain both strength and lightness in suflicient degree; but other materials may be employed, and any suitable ornamentation may be placed upon the surface in order to make the guard as pleasing to the eye as may be desired.

From the description and the drawings illustrative thereof it will be seen that all of the several forms of embodiment of the invention are adapted to be applied to the side rails of a bed in a very few moments, that they may be quickly adjusted to conform to different thicknesses of mattresses, that they occupy but little space, that they do not detract from the appearance of the bed, that they prevent all lateral movement of the mattress if it be of proper width and absolutely prevent the mattress from slipping over the side of the bed, and that no injury to the mattress can result from their use. Another very important advantage of the present device resides in the fact that it is capable of being adjusted longitudinally upon the side rail of the bedstead, whereby it may be readily accommodated to mattresses of different lengths, and if not in a proper position after being fixed to the rail the clamp-screw 14L may be loosened and the standard then shifted to any desired position.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A mattress-guard comprising a standard bent near its lower end to present a socket for the reception of a horizontally-disposed flange, means provided in the lower end of said standard for securing a flange in said socket, and a laterallyprojecting mattressengaging member adjustable vertically upon the standard and also capable of a tiltable adjustment in a'vertical direction.

2. A mattress-guard comprising a standard bent near its lower end to form a socket for the reception of a horizontally-disposed flange, clamping means for securing a flange in said socket, said standard having a vertically-arranged slot in the upper portion thereof, a clamping member disposed in said slot, and a laterallyqarojecting member carried by said clamping member.

3. A mattress-guard comprising a standard vertically slotted near its upper end and bent near its lower end to present a horizontallydisposed socket, a clamping-screw secured in the lower end of said standard to engage a member fitted in said socket, a clamping-bolt extending through the slot in the upper end of said standard, and a laterally-projecting mattress-engaging member carried by said clamping-bolt.

4. A mattress-guard comprising a standard provided at its lower end With means for connection with a side rail of a bedstead, and a mattress-engaging member adjustable vertically upon the standard and also having a tiltable adjustmentv thereon.

5. A mattress-guard comprising a standard provided at its lower end with a seat capable of receiving the side rail of a bedstead and to permit of a slidable adjustment of the standard longitudinally of the rail, a clamp member adjustably piercing the seat for engagement with the rail of the bedstead, and a mattress-engaging member adjustable vertically upon the standard and also having a tiltable adjustment vertically thereon.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN REED.

Witnesses:

RUEY HUFFMAN, N. T. RoMINn. 

